(Phoenix, Ariz. – July 9, 2004) Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard announced today that a U.S. District Court denied a motion for preliminary injunction that challenged the constitutionality of Arizona’s Citizens Clean Elections Act.

Arizona voters approved the Clean Elections Act in 1998 in an effort to diminish the influence of special interest money, to encourage citizen participation in the political process, and to promote freedom of speech under the U.S. and Arizona Constitutions.

The District Court noted that the Clean Elections Act is entitled to “considerable deference because it was designed to improve the integrity of the Arizona government through a clean elections system and it was approved by the Arizona voters.” The District Court concluded further that “the balance of hardships, public interest, and threat of irreparable injury all strongly favor Defendants.”

“Arizona voters approved the Clean Elections Act to improve the integrity in our state elections,” Goddard said. “I am pleased that the will of the Arizona voters prevailed.”

Former gubernatorial candidate Matt Salmon, State Senator Dean Martin, and former State Senator Lori Daniels joined a political action committee, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, in challenging the Clean Elections law.